North Korea 'ratifies' nuclear strike against US

A self-propelled suface to air missile during a live military drill overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at an undisclosed location. Kim Jong-Un oversaw a live fire military drill using drones and cruise missile interceptors (AFP Photo)

Shortly after the US said it was preparing to deploy an advanced missile-defense system to Guam, Pyongyang announced it had approved nuclear attack on the US. Meanwhile there are reports that North Korea is moving a mid-range missile to its east coast.

The reports by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency did not indicate
whether the missile was mounted with a warhead. It’s not yet
clear whether Pyongyang was planning to fire the weapon, or was
just displaying it as a show of force.

"South Korean and US intelligence authorities have obtained
indications the North has moved an object that appears to be a
mid-range missile to the east coast," the agency said citing a
South Korean government source. The missile is believed to be a
mid-range Musudan missile, with a reach of some 3,000 km or
more.

This comes as the North Korean army says it has final approval
for nuclear attack on the US. "Merciless operation of its
revolutionary armed forces in this regard has been finally examined
and ratified," said a spokesman for the General Staff of the
Korean People's Army, according to the statement released by the
state KCNA news agency.

"We formally inform the White House and Pentagon that the
ever-escalating US hostile policy toward the DPRK and its reckless
nuclear threat will be smashed by the strong will of all the united
service personnel and people."

The White House has responded by urging Pyongyang to stop making
threats.

"We've seen today's statement by North Korea, again making
unhelpful and unconstructive threats," said National Security
Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

In its turn Pentagon said the US military prepares to deploy an
advanced missile-defense system to Guam, in particular, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
System, or THAAD, which includes a truck-mounted launcher,
interceptor missiles, a AN/TPY-2 tracking radar and an integrated
fire control system, Reuters reports.